Political Theory Commons^™

The Twitter Effect, Caitlin Byrne

Caitlin Byrne

Extract: In its short history, Twitter-the latest social networking phenomenon-has emerged from within the boundaries of political oppression as a potential enabler of human rights. A product of Western culture. Twitter's relevance to human rights rests in liberal political theory. In particular, Twitter gives effect to first generation human rights, articulated by the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) in 1948, and subsequently codified in international law by the UN's International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1966. The potential of Twitter presents both serious challenges and opportunities for advancing human rights, which this case explores in …